The Tangled Web
by SerenBex
Summary: Sequel to Two Sides of a Coin. Hollie and Nikki return to Waterloo Road after some persuasion. Will things be quieter this time? Probably not.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hello lovelies! So... I caved and decided to write a sequel to **_**Two Sides of a Coin**_**. You'll finally get the answer to the question of who stopped Nikki's car when she and Hollie tried to leave Greenock ;)**_

_**Also, I know the dates of Nikki's pregnancy don't REALLY make sense, but it was the only way this made sense, so please bear with me on that one!**_

_**I'm not sure how frequent updates will be, but I'll do my best!**_

_**Hope you enjoy this :)**_

_**x**_

* * *

Hollie turned up the volume on her laptop, attempting to drown out the sound of her baby brother's crying from downstairs. She was stressed by the amount of work they had been set already, even though it was only the end of their second week back after the summer. Not only was it Hollie's second week back at school, it was her second week at a brand new school where she knew no one at all.

"Hol!" She rolled her eyes at the sound of shouting from downstairs and was incredibly tempted to turn the volume of her music up even more. "Hollie!"

Sighing, the girl swivelled her chair in a half circle and walked from her room. Leaning over the top of the banisters she looked down into the hall where Nikki was juggling several tasks at once. She had a cloth thrown over one shoulder as she bounced baby AJ in her arms, the landline handset clamped between her other shoulder and her ear and a pile of freshly dried baby bodysuits in her free hand.

"Little help here?" She demanded, motioning towards the front door with the washing. As she pointed the doorbell rang, obviously not for the first time.

Nodding, the teenager jumped down the staircase and moved to answer the door, wondering whether Tom had forgotten his keys again. He seemed incapable of taking them whenever he went to the supermarket to pick up extra nappies or wipes or whatever else they had run out of.

"Hey!" A broad smile lit up Hollie's face as she spotted her step-brother leaning against the porch wall, waiting to be let in. "You forgot your keys too? Like father, like son."

Josh laughed and followed her inside, closing the door and hanging his jacket on the hooks. Nikki appeared, still trying to do several things at the same time. Pressing a kiss to the boy's cheek, she thrust the baby into his arms and retreated to the kitchen to continue her conversation in peace.

"So, how's school? How was your trip to Manchester?"

"Didn't I tell you?" Hollie asked, leading the way into the living room and collapsing onto the sofa. Josh shook his head, handing AJ over and dropping down beside her.

"I don't think I've seen you long enough since you got back to talk about anything."

She shrugged, looking down at her baby brother who was finally falling asleep. Hollie had finally agreed to go up North to visit her Dad's family. It had mostly been Nikki's idea because she had received a letter from Rob's Mother, asking whether she would mind if they contacted Hollie again after receiving no response to their previous letter. Once she'd got past her nerves about meeting the large Evans side of her family, Hollie had actually really enjoyed the two weeks she'd spent with them and even visited her Dad in prison.

"It was good, actually. They're much nicer than I had imagined." She laughed softly as Josh raised an eyebrow at her. "I know, I know… but from everything that's happened and what I've heard I imagined them to be some kind of hardcore crime family or something. But they're not. Not really, anyway. My uncle Gary and cousin Craig are a bit dodgy and my Granddad and Dad are both in prison which is a bit… well… but the others are fine." She told him with a shrug. "But it was nice to come home… there are just so many people around all the time up there."

"What d'you mean?"

"Well, on Sunday we all went round to Auntie Karin and Uncle Danny's for lunch. And I mean all of us; Nan, Uncle Gary and Auntie Lauren, Uncle Martin and Auntie Verity, Auntie Emma and Uncle Mitch, Auntie Janey and Uncle Jamie and all fourteen of my cousins. Then there were some of my cousins' boyfriends and girlfriends and their kids. Even Dad's wife and their three kids were there." Hollie sighed, shaking her head. "I'm not used to like thirty-five people being round for lunch… it was mental."

"Yeah… no wonder you're glad to be home." Josh agreed with a laugh. "I thought it got crazy with you and our parents around." He shot her a look. "They OK?"

Hollie nodded and smiled. "I think so. Obviously AJ being premature was a bit of a worry, but they seem so much stronger now. But Tom not being able to get a job and Mum being on maternity isn't great."

"Where is the old man, anyway?"

"They ran out of nappies… again. I have no idea how many this kid gets through every day, but we always seem to be running out." The girl laughed, looking down at her brother again and shaking her head. "Babies are more trouble than they're worth."

"You don't mean that." Josh told her with a shake of his head.

She sighed. "Nah… you're not that bad, are you Alexander John?"

"Formal." Her step-brother teased, earning himself of roll of her eyes and the baby being gently transferred into his possession as Hollie climbed to her feet.

"Cuppa?" She asked, pausing in the doorway.

He glanced at his watch. "I need to get back to Halls… I said I'd pick up milk on the way back."

"You're gonna wait for Tom though, right?" Hollie asked, grinning. Not waiting for an answer she made her way into the kitchen to put the kettle on.

Nikki was still on the phone when the teenager pushed the swing door open silently. Leaning on the counters by the sink, the woman had her back to where her daughter stood, one hand running through her hair repeatedly as she listened to whatever was being said to her. Curiously, Hollie leant against the doorframe waiting for her to speak.

"That really is generous, Christine, but I'm not sure if we should come back." Nikki responded after a moment or two. "This was supposed to be a fresh start; to get back on track. Hollie's only been at her new school for two weeks and coming back now would be disruptive. It's not much of a fresh start if it lasts less than two months. Not to mention I have a four-week-old to think about as well." There was a long pause as she listened to the woman on the other end. Hollie wished she could hear what was being said and almost made up her mind to pick up another handset and listen in. With a sigh, Nikki caught her daughter's attention once more. "I'll speak to Tom and see what he thinks. We could do with two wages… Alright… I'll speak to you later. Bye."

Jumping as the beep of the 'end call' button met her ears, Hollie pushed the door open even more so that it banged on the counter and signalled that she was in the room. Nikki turned with a frown and told her to be more careful with the door.

"Sorry." Her daughter muttered, pretending to be contrite. "Who was on the phone? Anything interesting?"

"Not really… Christine Mulgrew."

Hollie's eyebrows rose slightly. "What did she want?"

"Nothing much… she was just ringing to see how we all are and how AJ is getting on." The woman lied smoothly. "What did Josh want?"

"Tea." The teenager replied with a frown, turning away to put teabags in the mugs so that her mother couldn't see her expression. She knew that Nikki was lying and she hated it. "Want one?"

Moving past her, the woman absentmindedly pressed a kiss to the top of her head and tapped her cheek. "I'd love one, sweetheart."

By the time the kettle had boiled and Hollie had made the drinks Tom had arrived back and they spent the rest of the evening, before Josh left to return to his University flat, watching television and chatting about nothing in particular. Nikki didn't mention the conversation she'd had with Christine, which just served to make her daughter even more curious.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Hey darlings! I did warn you that I didn't know when I'd be updating this, but here's chapter 2! **_

_**Hope you enjoy it! :)**_

_**x**_

* * *

In fact, Nikki didn't mention anything at all for a couple of days. On Sunday, when Hollie had gone round to the house of a girl in her English class to work on a presentation they had to give, she settled herself on the sofa beside Tom who was flicking through the sports channels for something to watch and laid her hand on his to attract his attention. He smiled at her for a moment before returning his gaze to the screen.

"Tom?"

"Mmmm…?"

"I need to talk to you about something."

"Hmm?"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, the woman shifted so that she was straddling his lap and completely blocking his view of the television. Tom blinked at her for a moment, nonplussed, before grinning and finally putting down the remote control. As his hands moved to her hips, Nikki turned the television off and moved the remote out of his reach. Then she pulled herself out of his embrace and settled herself back on the sofa.

"Hey!" Tom complained.

She smiled. "Now that I have your undivided attention, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"You could have just said."

"I did." Nikki replied, arching an eyebrow. "Christine Mulgrew phoned on Friday night. Apparently she's having a bit of trouble with our replacements as deputy head's and was wondering whether you'd consider going back."

"What?" Tom frowned, his attention completely focused on his partner now. He turned so that he was facing her completely. "Just me?"

She shook her head. "No, my job is there for me when my maternity leave ends. I just… is it the best idea?"

"After everything that happened last year, you mean?"

"Mmm…" Nikki chewed her lip thoughtfully. "I mean, is it selfish of us to go back because we'll both have jobs in a school we love, even though it might not be the best thing for Hollie?"

"Have you asked her?" Tom asked curiously, evidently wondering whether he was the last to hear about this.

"No, I wanted to talk to you about it first."

"I think we should consider it." Tom answered honestly. "Neither of us are really earning at the moment and Hollie's only in her second week. If we went back soon then the disruption to her school work would be minimal. I think you should speak to Hollie and ask what she thinks. When does Christine want an answer?"

"As soon as possible; she wants us back there as quickly as we can be."

"Then speak to Hollie when she gets back from Emma's and find out what she thinks about it." He smirked. "I have a feeling that she'll start packing straight away."

"Probably," Nikki agreed with a sigh, "but is it best for her? I moved us because I didn't want the past hanging around."

"You know what that place is like, Nik. There'll be a new drama by the time we get back and no one will even remember anything about it."

"But what if she doesn't want to go?"

Tom smiled, wrapping an arm around his partner and pulling her into his side. Nikki rested her cheek on his chest and sighed. "We'll talk about it. There are lots of options. With Jo and Sam just down the road Hollie could live with them in term time if she wanted to, or–"

"I am not leaving my daughter behind again, Tom!" Nikki argued, her eyes flashing angrily.

"OK, so maybe I could go back and live in the school house and then come back at weekends and things."

"That's stupid."

He laughed at her indignant tone. "We'll think of something, babe, I promise."

x-x

As Tom had predicted Hollie's first question had been to ask when they were moving back to Scotland. Nikki peered at her warily, wondering whether she had thought about it properly. With a smile, the teenager assured her mother that she was well aware that the events of the past year might be brought back up as soon as she stepped foot in Waterloo Road again, but she could handle it. All the teenager wanted to do was get back to people and places she knew and felt comfortable with.

So, on the following Tuesday, Tom headed up to Greenock to discuss things with Christine and try and find them somewhere to live seeing as they'd sold their house when they moved down South. After informing the school that Hollie would be leaving, Nikki didn't really see the point in her daughter continuing to attend and so Hollie spent her time helping her mother to pack up their things and look after her baby brother.

Everything was full steam ahead and, by the end of the week Tom had found them somewhere to live and returned to collect some of their things. Hollie wondered at the fact that moving back up to Greenock was accomplished much more quickly than moving away from the town. There was no waiting around for removal companies or Estate Agents. They hired a van to transport their things, signed the papers and put their new house on the market.

Within a fortnight of Christine's phone call the four of them were settling into their new house in Greenock.

"Get the door, Hol!" Nikki called from upstairs as the doorbell rang three times in a row.

With a smudge of green paint on her cheek and her hair tied back messily the teenager put the paintbrush she was using on the pallet and headed to do as she was asked. She grinned broadly and threw herself into Kevin's arms as she saw her boyfriend standing on the doorstep. He laughed and hugged her back, not worried about the fact that she was possibly getting paint on his uniform.

"The oversized shirt is a good look, babe." He said with a wink as she ushered him into the house. "Very sexy."

"Oh, shut up!" Hollie laughed, leading the way into the kitchen and grabbing a couple of cans of coke out of the fridge. She threw one to Kevin, deliberately shaking it up and grinned triumphantly as his attempts to open it carefully were futile and he ended up being sprayed. "How was school?"

"The usual. Pictures of Rhiannon got sent round the school and she got upset, understandably."

"Pictures?" Hollie asked, smiling as her mother walked into the room and grinned at Kevin, who immediately held out his arms for a cuddle with AJ.

"You know; pictures." He repeated meaningfully.

The girl's eyes widened as she realised what he meant. "Oh… poor Rhiannon. Is she OK? Who did it?"

"Who d'you think?" Kevin asked clenching his jaw.

Hollie flinched as she realised he was talking about Barry Barry. "I can't wait to get back to school on Monday." She said, changing the subject. "I swear Mum's got me working harder here!"

Nikki laughed. "The hard work is only just beginning, kiddo."

"Is there anything I can do to help, Miss?" Kevin asked politely.

"It's Nikki out of school, Kevin." She reminded him with a warm smile. "But you just keep my son asleep so we can have a couple of minutes peace and that's enough of a help for now." She settled herself at the table, waving off her daughter's suggestion that she went to get some sleep while they watched AJ. "How's Chalky?"

"He's great… he's loving the new project they're working on at the moment. He sent me a prototype and it seems great!" Kevin enthused.

"That's good."

"Seriously, Mum, go and sleep." Hollie ordered, physically helping the woman out of her chair and directing her towards the stairs. "We've got this."

When Nikki finally agreed and headed upstairs, her daughter returned to the kitchen and leant in the doorway, smiling at her boyfriend rocking her baby brother carefully in his arms. He was smiling down at AJ without a single trace of panic or anxiety in his expression. The first time Josh had held the baby he had been absolutely terrified; Kevin was a natural.

"You're good at that." Hollie told him casually, ruffling his hair as she rounded the table and took her seat once more.

He looked up at her quickly. "I like babies."

His girlfriend arched an eyebrow. "Don't you dare go getting any ideas, Chalk, understand?"


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Thank you for your lovely messages guys!**_

_**I've decided that Wednesday is going to be the update day :)**_

_**x**_

* * *

Monday finally arrived and Tom and Hollie said goodbye to Nikki and AJ before heading to Waterloo Road. Tom had been in several times since accepting his old job back, but it was the first time that Hollie had stepped foot in the school since they left. She took a deep breath and smiled, feeling as though she was home.

"OI! BOSTON!" A booming voice reached her ears and she turned, leaning on Tom's car with her arms folded over her chest as Zoe and Scout headed towards her across the car park.

They threw their arms around her and hugged her tightly, all three squealing with excitement at being reunited. Linking their arms through hers, the two girls pulled Hollie towards the building filling her in on everything that she had missed in the month she had been away.

"Girls!" Miss McFall chastised as they made their way through the corridors. "Calm down!"

"Sorry, Miss!" Scout apologised, although it was completely pointless as, seconds later, Dynasty and Imogen spotted them and the squealing reached a new level.

"Oh my god we've missed you, Hols!" Dynasty gushed, hugging her tightly. "Have you got pictures of the baby? Is he cute! What's his name again."

"Alexander John Clarkson, but we just call him AJ." Hollie told her with a broad grin, pulling out her phone and showing them some photos.

Imogen and Dynasty started 'ooh-ing' and 'aww-ing' over the images, with Scout and Zoe crowding round to get a look as well. Hollie grinned and accepted the comments on his cuteness as though she had something to do with it. By the time they reached their form room she had promised that they could come over and meet him that evening, although she demanded that they let her check it was OK with Nikki first.

"What's your first lesson?" Scout asked as they left registration a short while later.

Hollie glanced at the timetable their tutor, Mr Green, had just handed her. "Free then Geography with Hart. You?"

"Double Chemistry." Scout said with a wince. "Fulman's OK, but the new one, Miss Spark, is rubbish. She couldn't control a puppy."

"That's shit… point her out to me, yeah?"

The blonde nodded and waved as she headed in the direction of the science block while Hollie and Zoe made their way to the common room for their free. With no work to do yet, the brunette spent her time being as annoying as she possibly could while her friend attempted to finish the Drama essay she was supposed to hand in that afternoon.

Just as Hollie was about to leave for her Geography lesson, Miss McFall poked her head around the common room door and informed everyone that all History students from the sixth form were required to go to the lecture theatre in the double lesson between break and lunch for a history lesson. As Hollie had double history with the woman then anyway it wasn't a big deal and she simply shrugged at Zoe and went on her way.

It turned out that they were going to be watching a film in the double lesson and Hollie yawned and settled herself on her seat beside Zoe, making herself comfortable.

"_Right, quiet, please; settle down quickly._" Miss McFall called out as the chatter began to die down. "_Now I have a treat for you today. I have managed to secure a rare copy of the Origins of Conflict; a wonderful film. Now, each year will be doing their own project on this film, which is why you're all here together today._"

Hollie sighed deeply, slouching further down in her seat and raising her eyebrows at Zoe, who smirked back. From the other side of the room Darren yawned loudly, causing the teacher to sigh with exasperation. It only lasted a minute or two, however, as an error with the disk in the DVD player made the entire room laugh and Miss McFall begin to panic.

As she struggled with the technology, the class began to have their own conversations. Hollie rested her chin on her hand and listened as Zoe told her all about the hot guy who had started working in the chip shop near the School House. She grinned as her friend wondered aloud what she could do to attract his attention, more to herself than to Hollie.

"_Will you be quiet?!_" Miss McFall ordered just as the teenager was about to reply.

As Hollie looked up, her eyes fell on a tall man in some kind of military uniform with medals pinned to his chest. Darren raised his hand to his forehead in a mock salute and the two year 13's rolled their eyes at his behaviour.

"_Mr Brown!_" Their teacher breathed, as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"_Miss McFall, you were right._" The man said and then dropped his voice so that their conversation couldn't be overheard.

Zoe nudged Hollie and the two girls watched curiously. It seemed to be quite a heated conversation, with a lot of hand waving and gesturing between the two. It was more interesting than listening to Harley and Lula's conversation, though, so they strained their eyes to try and hear what was being said. They had little success, but it was still quite entertaining.

"_Is that your boyfriend, Miss?_" Shaznay asked, winking as Miss McFall took the man by the arm and attempted to guide him outside. There was a wolf whistle and a lot of giggling.

"_Silence!_" The man barked, the effect instantaneous. "_You, boy!_" Darren looked up guiltily. "_Give that back._" He stepped forward as the teenager held out the hipflask he had taken from the man's satchel. "_It's worth more than you can imagine._"

"_What?_"

"Idiot…" Hollie muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes at his stupidity.

"_This once saved my life._" The man explained quietly, holding up the flask to reveal a small dent in it.

"_How?_"

"_Well…_" Miss McFall tried to usher him out, but he stood his ground.

"_Can we hear what happened, Miss?_" Harley asked, gaining a murmur of agreement from the others in the room.

"_Come on, Miss, it's alright._" Darren agreed. "_It's better than that DVD._"

"_You are an impossible man._" She said, before stepping aside and letting Mr Brown continue.

"_I joined up when I wasn't much older than you. I had to trust that the people giving orders knew what they were doing. Like Miss McFall and you unruly bunch. We were on patrol in the jungle in units of three…_" His stories were so interesting that by the time they were dismissed for an early lunch no one realised how much time had passed.

Hollie tucked her arm through Zoe's as the two girls headed back towards the common room, discussing the lesson they'd just had, before their attention was drawn to other, less educational matters.

By the time they managed to get to their lockers, a crowd gathered around them prevented the two girls from depositing their books and grabbing their lunches. Sighing, Hollie attempted to push her way through, but was soon stopped by Imogen and Dynasty, who squealed something excitably at her before moving away. Completely nonplussed as to what they'd said, Hollie glanced at Zoe, who simply shrugged.

"Oh, Hols."

The teenager looked up sharply, confused by the sound of her mother's voice. Out of the crowd of students Nikki appeared, with the handle of AJ's car seat slung over her arm and her jacket clutched in the other.

"Mum? What are you doing here?"

"I've popped in to see Christine. Can you watch AJ for a while?"

Not giving her daughter a chance to complain, the woman pressed a kiss to her temple and vanished, leaving Hollie to look down at her sleeping brother with a deep sigh.


	4. Chapter 4

"So you're going back part-time?" Hollie asked in confusion, twirling spaghetti around her fork and frowning at her mother.

Nikki nodded, finishing her mouthful and smiling. "I'm doing Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday mornings teaching some English and some PE, as of tomorrow."

"Wait… what? Tomorrow?"

"I can't sit around at home all day every day, Hols!" Her mother laughed at the notion. "You know me, I'd go mad!"

The teenager frowned. "But what about AJ?"

"I've booked him in with a child-minder." Nikki explained casually. "She comes highly recommended and she can fit him in for two and a half days a week."

"He's six weeks old, Mum! You can't just put him in a child-minders! Tom? Are you OK with this?"

He smiled at her and squeezed her shoulder from his seat next to hers. "Of course, love. It's only two and a half days a week and, like Nikki said, she'd go mad cooped up here all the time."

"So… you're just dumping your latest kid too?"

Nikki's jaw clenched. "Hollie…" She growled warningly.

"Look… I have frees the lesson before lunch and in the afternoon on a Tuesday and the first two on Wednesday… I'll look after AJ then so he doesn't have to spend as much time with the child minder." Hollie suggested looking between the two adults determinedly.

"You need that time to do your work." Nikki said firmly, matching her daughter's hard stare.

"AJ really will be fine, Hollie." Tom tried to assure her.

"I can work and watch him at the same time." Hollie said, completely ignoring her step-father's words. "Surely if I'm willing to look after AJ for free when I can then that's better than paying a child-minder to do it instead?"

Leaning forwards and resting her elbows on the table, Nikki raised an eyebrow. "So what are you proposing?"

"I'm free from about 12 on Tuesday, so I can go and pick AJ up and look after him until you and Tom get home. Then I can take him to the child-minder's before getting to school for Geography after break on Wednesday morning."

There was a pause and then the woman nodded. "OK."

Tom and Hollie were both surprised by her easy acquiescence. "OK?"

"Why not, if you feel so strongly about it." Nikki nodded. "We can give it a trial period and see how it goes. If you find that you need your time back to keep up with your work, we'll re-evaluate."

Grinning to herself, Hollie shovelled her dinner into her mouth. She escaped from the table and up to her bedroom as soon as she had loaded the dishwasher. Despite the large amount of work that still needed to be done so that she could catch up in all of her classes, she couldn't bring herself to open any of her text books. Instead, she lay on her bed and flicked through the channels on her television instead.

That was how Nikki found her several hours later when she went up to take her daughter a mug of tea. The woman smiled fondly, leaning in the doorway and watching the teenager who, for once, looked completely content in her sleep. Pulling the door closed behind her, after turning off the television, Nikki left Hollie in peace.

x-x

"Right, you lot!" Nikki shouted, addressing her year thirteen class from her perch on the edge of her desk. "Novels away; we're going to be working on entries for the National Schools' Poetry Competition this afternoon."

Hollie, along with the rest of the class, groaned at her words. The next almost two hours passed agonisingly slowly as the teenagers struggled to write poems that were deemed acceptable to enter the competition and be judged by Mr Budgen on his first day back at school.

In the end, only a handful were deemed worthy to be exhibited in the reading that Mrs Mulgrew had organised for after school. Hollie was slightly irritated and more than a little embarrassed that hers was one of them. She complained all the way from her mother's classroom to the assembly hall, were rows of chairs had been set out for the audience.

"We're going to listen to some of the brilliant entries that didn't quite make first place; one poem has been chosen from each year as runner up. Then Mr Budgen will announce the overall winner." The headteacher informed the staff and students who had assembled for the presentation from the stage at the front of the room. "First, from year seven, reading her poem 'Under Grey Skies' is Emily Harris."

Hollie sat through the first readings, twisting her hands in her lap and waiting for her name to be announced. She knew that her Mum had been disappointed with Kacey's performance in the boxing match and, although Hollie couldn't say that a tiny part of her wasn't pleased, she didn't want to let Nikki down again. Her jealousy over the time that Nikki was spending with Kacey caused her to be almost glad that the younger girl had failed in the thing that linked the pair so closely. But, when she thought about it properly, she realised that she was just being stupid.

"Next up, from year thirteen, reading her entry 'Alone' we have Hollie Boston."

Feeling almost sick as she made her way to the podium, Hollie fiddled with the corner of her piece of paper uneasily. She took a deep breath and, keeping her eyes fixed on the words in front of her, she began to read.

"Memories like mist in autumn; start off so strong and solid but over time they fade and disappear until there is nothing left. Nightmares grasp the edge of sleep and take a firm hold; refusing to relinquish their grip even when the morning light rolls in to offer its own form of protection. Hopes so childish and bright; dimming and disappearing with every disappointment and cruel, whispered word that cuts straight to the heart. Dreams start off so convincing; drift further and further out of reach until reality forces the realisation that they will never become a reality. And then there's nothing left." Hollie paused for a moment, glancing up almost shyly to meet Nikki's eyes. "But then the nightmares fade and the dreams and hopes fight their way back into the light. Memories return, burning brighter than ever before. And you were there. You came back and so did the light. And now I'm not alone."

There was a round of applause as she finished. Making her way back to her seat beside Kevin, Hollie was sure that she'd seen her mother wiping her eyes. A small smile twisted her lips at that; not because she'd made Nikki cry, but because what she'd written had obviously touched her mother. For that, she was happy.

Mrs Mulgrew took her place at the front once more, still clapping. She smiled around, before motioning towards the front row of the audience. "_Mr Budgen, our most experienced English teacher, has in his possession… well, I'll let him tell you for himself. Mr Budgen?_"

"_Err… this is a fantastic body of work._" He announced, with far more enthusiasm than most of them had ever heard coming from him before. "_My congratulations to all who entered the competition._" He chuckled lightly. "_To be honest with you, I didn't feel like coming back to work today and had it not been for a certain person pushing me, quite literally on occasion, I wouldn't be standing here now._" There was a pause and he swallowed thickly. "_To the competition… err… I have an apology to make… to the author of this._" He held up a tatty, ripped scrap of paper with a warm smile. "_It is so good I didn't believe he wrote it. But he did. I just hope he can forgive an old dog who's run out of tricks. The winning poem; For You, by Harley Taylor._"

Loud applause filled the hall as Harley stood and made his way to the podium where Mr Budgen stood. He waved his hand away as the teacher attempted to hand him his poem. "_I know it off by heart anyway._"

"_For you._" He began. "_If I could pray your pain away, I surely would. If I could hold you fast until your pain had passed, I'd try. If I could cry your weary tears well dry, I'd weep. All I have are words and words alone. But these few words I have hewn from dank and unyielding pits and torn by wretched tattered hands in charcoal; dark and bitter, brittle stone. These are my words and I have polished them… for you._"

As the applause for Harley died down, Maggie's terrified and pain-filled shouts filled the room. It was only then that they realised what had happened. A hush descended over the figures as they realised that there was nothing anyone could do.

Mr Budgen was dead.

* * *

_**A/N: So... firstly, apologies for Hollie's poem. I've **_**never**_** been able to write poetry!**_

_**Also, thanks for your reviews/follows/etc. I'm glad you're enjoying! :)**_

_**x**_


	5. Chapter 5

On the morning of Mr Budgen's funeral, exactly a week after his death, there was a sombre mood in the Clarkson-Boston household. Even AJ seemed to know that there was something wrong and the sounds he made could have been called whimpers, rather than cries. There was almost no conversation as they got ready for the day.

"You OK, Dad?" Josh asked, grasping Tom's forearm as they were leaving the house and piling into the car.

He nodded. "I will be, son."

"I'm sorry I can't stay longer, but I've got to get back to Uni."

"We understand." Nikki assured him with a gentle smile, securing the baby seat into the back of the car. "Maggie will be pleased to see you. It would have meant a lot to Grantly."

"I just can't believe he's gone…" Josh said, shaking his head slightly.

It was a sentiment that was echoed by the rest of his family and there was silence as they dropped AJ off at the child-minder's; he'd been booked in for the whole of Wednesday, so that Hollie could attend the funeral. The drive to the crematorium, the walk from the car park into the chapel and to their seats was almost tense.

Tom went in first, followed by Josh and Hollie, with Nikki sitting on the end next to the aisle. As the music began to play and the coffin was carried up the aisle, the girl reached out and squeezed her mother's hand. Nikki turned to look at the teenager, offering her a small, weak smile which was half-heartedly returned. As the coffin headed towards them, Harley stumbled and Nikki dropped Hollie's hand to steady him. Once he had passed, the woman reached for the comfort of her daughter again.

They sat in almost numbed silence, listening to the service. When Maggie stood up to speak, tears sprang to Hollie's eyes as she remembered her first weeks in Greenock where Maggie and Grantly had been like parents to her. Until then, until she moved into the School House, Hollie hadn't really ever experienced family life. But they had given it to her; Mr and Mrs Budgen. As Maggie continued, Hollie began to sob, burying her face into Nikki's neck as her mother wrapped her tightly in her arms and tried to soothe her as best she could.

"_I used to feel like it was one of my biggest regrets that I'd met Grantly too late to have a family. Then I realised, we did have one. We had all of you. And they say that you cannot choose your family, but we did. We chose Waterloo Road as ours. Now, I know that some of you looked up to Grantly as a dad. And… grumpy old bugger that he was… he didn't always show it, did he, but you were all his kids. And he loved you._"

The curtains closed, shielding the coffin from view and Hollie squeezed her eyes closed once more; clinging to Nikki as though she was a life line. On her other side, Josh reached for her hand, holding it tightly to show that he was there for her. Over Nikki's shoulder Hollie spotted Zoe and Scout sitting with Imogen, Dynasty, Kevin and Connor. They all had tears in their eyes and Scout's head was lying on Zoe's shoulder as they stared at the front of the chapel.

Before any of them were really ready, they were piling out of the crematorium and heading back to school. Tom dropped Josh at the train station on the way and they ordered him to come and visit them soon. The boy hugged his step-sister extra tightly, reminding her that if she ever needed to talk, or get away from their parents for a while, he was always there. Hollie laughed and told him that he'd regret his offer one day.

Then it was back to school as though nothing had even happened. Hollie met her friends and they headed inside together. Zoe and Connor had a free period until lunch as well, so the three of them headed to the Common Room to get some work done. None of them really felt like talking, so their time passed peacefully, each of them using the opportunity to sort through their own thoughts and get things done.

Part way through the lesson before break, Hollie realised she needed to borrow a book from Ms McFall to complete her History essay and, with a deep sigh, she logged off her computer and made her way through the corridors towards the History department. She was just walking past Mrs Mulgrew's office when she spotted Nikki leaning against the wall and taking deep breaths.

History book instantly forgotten, the teenager rushed forward, reaching out and touching her mother's arms tentatively. Nikki barely even registered the contact. She only seemed to realise that Hollie was there when the teenager spoke, almost jumping out of her skin at the sound.

"Mum? Mum, are you OK? What's happened? D'you want me to get Tom?"

"H-Hollie… no… no! I… I just…"

The teenager bit her lip, her concern growing by the second. "Mum?"

"I just…" Nikki shook her head, pushing herself away from the wall and seemingly pulling herself together. "Why aren't you in class?"

"Double free, remember?"

"So why aren't you working? Didn't you say you had a History essay to do for Friday? Shouldn't you be getting that done?"

Hollie gaped at her. "You're more important than some essay, Mum! If there's something wrong–"

"There's nothing wrong." The woman snapped, frowning at her daughter. "Just… just go and do your essay, OK?"

Glaring, the teenager shrugged and turned on her heels, striding off along the corridor. She heard the loud sigh and Nikki calling her name, but she ignored them both. When she rounded the corner, Hollie slammed her fist into the wall and let out a long, exasperated breath. After everything that had happened, the one thing the girl hated most was when Nikki hid things from her. And Nikki was definitely hiding something.

Retrieving the book from Ms McFall, Hollie made her way back towards the Common Room. She went the long way round, bypassing the Headteacher's office, so that she wouldn't bump into her mother. Hollie needed a couple more minutes to cool off before she could face Nikki again.

Passing by the canteen, she happened to glance through the doors and spotted the woman herself sitting at one of the tables with a dark-haired girl she had never seen before. Hollie frowned, wondering who the stranger was. Neither of them so much as glanced in her direction, so she took a couple of minutes to watch them curiously.

The sound of heels clicking on the tiled floor drew Hollie back to the present and she looked up to see Carol Barry heading towards her, looking thunderous. Offering her a small smile, the teenager moved back to let her pass, pressing her back against the corridor wall.

"When you see your mother, you tell her to stay away from my Kacey." Carol ordered, pointing her finger at the girl.

"Huh?"

"This boxing thing." The woman clarified. "It's over."

Hollie shrugged, the jealousy she felt every time Nikki talked about the younger girl's training or ability flaring up immediately. "Great."

"_Mrs Barry?_"

The door to the canteen opened and Nikki appeared. Her eyes flickered to her daughter's and then widened dramatically. Almost against her will she glanced over her shoulder at the other girl who was still sitting at the table where she'd left her. Hollie followed her gaze, meeting the eyes of the stranger suspiciously.

"Who's that?"

"That… I… no one." Nikki muttered nervously. "Hollie, I need to–"

"Whatever."

Turning away, the girl stalked away, leaving her mother calling after her for the second time in ten minutes. She made her way hurriedly back to the Common Room and took her place at the computer once more. Opening the book to the relevant chapter, she studiously ignored Zoe's questioning glances, pretending to be totally engrossed in her work.


	6. Chapter 6

"You have to talk to me sometime, Hol." Zoe sing-songed at her, the irritable glare aimed at her from the other girl having absolutely no effect. "Whatever's bothering you now can be dealt with, right? Is it Kevin?"

"No." Hollie snapped, keeping her eyes glued to the computer screen.

"So it's not Kevin… then it must be your mum."

"Why?"

"Because you only get like this over two people; one of them is Kevin and the other is your mum." Zoe told her confidently. "So what's she done?"

Hollie sighed and looked around quickly, making sure they wouldn't be overheard. "She's acting weird. And there's this girl… Something's going on."

"What girl?"

"I dunno… some kid. Mum was talking to her in the canteen. I asked her who she was and she said no one, but…"

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "So you automatically think Miss Boston's lying? Maybe she's just a new kid she was showing round or something?"

"But she was all… spaced out... when I saw her in the corridor before. No… she's hiding something from me."

Shaking her head, the darker girl frowned. "Why do you automatically believe everyone's lying to you?"

"She's got form, hasn't she?" Hollie snapped back.

"That's not fair and you know it." Zoe retorted. "She'd do anything for you, right? Don't even deny it because you'd just be lying to yourself. If she is hiding something from you, then it's probably for your own good. Just forget about it."

"I can't."

Letting out a long breath, the teenager shook her head. She was about to say something when the bell rang, signalling break time. "Come on, let's go and get something to eat before double English." Hollie groaned, remembering that her mother was taking their lesson that day. Zoe grinned. "Looks like you can't avoid her for long."

Packing up their things, the two girls made their way through the corridors and back down to the canteen. Zoe chattered about inconsequential things to try and distract her friend, while Hollie kept her eyes out for the stranger who seemed to be commanding so much of her mother's time. Zoe knew that she didn't have Hollie's attention, but she kept talking, determined not to give in to her paranoia.

Before they had got very far, they spotted a furious looking Dynasty dragging her sister by the arm. Zoe grinned at Hollie, instantly intrigued by the prospect of gossip and changed their direction so that they could see what was going on. Grudgingly the other girl allowed herself to be pulled along, not the least bit interested in the latest Barry family crisis.

As they reached Mrs Mulgrew's office, however, she grasped Zoe's arm tightly and pointed at the tall, dark haired girl leaning against the wall opposite the door. Her friend frowned as she felt Hollie come to an immediate halt and turned to look at her, before noticing where her attention was directed. Turning back to look along the corridor, she spotted the other teenager and tilted her head slightly, running an appraising gaze over her.

"That's her; that's the girl Mum was with."

Zoe pursed her lips thoughtfully. "She looks kinda familiar…"

"You know her?" Hollie arched an eyebrow, but her friend shook her head.

"No, but she just looks…"

They stared at her as Dynasty disappeared into the office. Seconds later, the blonde reappeared and spoke to the stranger. Hollie couldn't help walking closer, wanting to hear what was being said.

"_What's Boston playing at?_" Dynasty snapped at Kacey. "_She knew me mum was here. She and I are gonna have serious words._"

Hollie was about to step forward and defend her mum against her friend, when the other girl spoke. "_I'm sorry; can I help you with something?_"

"_Who are you?_"

"_I'm Eve… Miss Boston's daughter._"

It was as though time had stopped. Hollie felt hot and cold all at the same time as the girl's words reverberated in her mind. She wasn't conscious of Zoe beside her, grasping her arm and trying to talk to her. All she could hear was the girl's words on a loop in her head.

"What the fuck?" She demanded furiously, storming towards the girl, her eyes flashing with fury. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Who are **you**?" Eve shot back, looking her up and down.

Coming to stand in front of the girl, with Dynasty, Kacey and Zoe behind her, Hollie narrowed her eyes. "I'm Hollie Boston... Nikki's daughter."

"Yeah." Kacey nodded. "**This** is Miss Boston's daughter."

"She… has another daughter?"

"She has **a** daughter." Hollie replied irritably. "Where is my mum?"

"_She's a bit busy today._" Eve told her, sounding infuriatingly smug. "_Can I give her a message?_"

"Yeah… I've got a message…" Hollie nodded slowly. Then, without warning, she raised her hand and slapped the other girl across the face. "I don't know who the hell you are, but you stay away from my family."

"Hol!" Zoe pulled her backward, holding her arms tightly. "Stop it!"

"The door to the office was shut. Maybe Miss Boston's in there?" Dynasty said with a grin, watching Eve rubbing her smarting cheek with a wince.

That was all it took for the girl to turn on her heel and march into the office. She didn't even bother to knock on Mrs Mulgrew's door, before throwing it open and striding inside. Both women looked up in confusion at the sudden intrusion. Nikki had her head in her hands and, if possible, she went even paler at the sight of her daughter standing in the doorway.

"Hollie! What on earth do you think you are doing?" Mrs Mulgrew demanded furiously.

The girl ignored her. "Is it true?"

"Hollie, I–"

"Is it?" Nikki just nodded, the lump that had formed in her throat preventing her from speaking. Tears formed in Hollie's eyes and she shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you sometimes… I hate you."

"Hollie, wait! You don't understand!"

"I understand all I need to." The teenager yelled at her. "You dumped me on my Grandparents and you presumably did the same to her! You didn't even fucking tell me I had a sister! Are you planning on dumping AJ next? What? Are we going to wake up one morning and you'll just be gone?"

"It's not that–"

"No! No, you don't get to speak!" Hollie screamed. "You know what, why don't you just fuck off right now and save us all the pain?"

"Cooler, now!" Mrs Mulgrew ordered, grasping the teenager by the arms and pulling her from the room as her mother sat in shocked silence.

Nikki made no attempt whatsoever to follow or talk to Hollie. She simply put her head in her hands and allowed pent-up tears to fall from her eyes. She understood how bad it would look to the teenager and she wished she had the words to explain things properly. She wished she had said something before, rather than trying to pretend that Eve didn't exist. Hollie would have been angry however she found out, but Nikki was sure that if she had told her, her daughter would have found it much easier to accept the truth.

"Mum?"

Forcing herself to look up, Nikki found her gaze settling on her younger daughter. She tried to force a smile onto her lips, but found that it was impossible. Eve made her way closer, perching on Christine's recently vacated seat and looking at the woman curiously.

"Is she my sister?"

"Half-sister." Nikki clarified with a small nod.

"You kept her?"

"It… the situations were different. I was sixteen when I had Hollie and my parents brought her up. I'd left home when I met your dad… I was about to join the army… things were complicated."

She broke off as Christine entered the office and smiled gently at her. "Hollie's in the Cooler. She's still angry, but she's stopped throwing chairs, I think."

The attempt at a half-joke fell flat as Nikki stood abruptly and moved towards the door. "Thank you, I… I need to…"

"_Well… whatever you have to do._" Christine offered. "_Take the rest of the day off. Take her home._"

The darker woman stared at her for a moment, before answering. "_I've got a class waiting for me._"

"_Nikki, she can't stay here while you teach! Nikki?_"

But she was out of the door with Eve trailing behind her awkwardly. She didn't say anything as they walked, until the girl placed a hand on her arm to attract her attention. Then she inhaled sharply. Spotting Mr Lowsley, she paused.

"_Simon… could you cover my S4s, now?_"

"_I've kinda got my hands full._"

"_Please?_"

"_Everything alright?_" The man asked, looking at her in concern.

She nodded sharply. "_Yeah… I've just… I– I've gotta sort something… now…_"

"_OK, I'm on it._"

As he walked away, sending her a curious look, Nikki nodded slowly. She turned and her eyes fell on Kacey Barry, walking slowly in her direction. "_Kacey? I had something to deal with._"

"_Eve?_"

"_How did you know…?_"

"_Yeah, we've met already._" Eve said.

Nikki looked between them, sensing the hostility. "_Look… I'm sorry. I– I should have been there._"

"_Whatever._" The girl replied with a shrug and a glare. "Did you know that Hollie's back in the Cooler for the first time in months?"

Not waiting for an answer, Kacey turned and walked away. Nikki glanced at Eve and saw that she was staring after the other girl with an expression of curiosity and triumph on her face. With a frown, the woman pulled her towards the library, pushing open the double doors and finding it mercifully empty. They made their way to the back of the room, away from any chance of potential eavesdroppers.

"_We need to get in touch with your dad._" Nikki said in a business-like tone.

"_I don't wanna see him!_" Eve exclaimed. "_Not after what he's done._"

"_I'm sure he had his reasons._" Her mother replied, clenching her fists together so tightly she was sure a couple of nails broke through the skin of her palms. She really had no idea what to do for the best now. Things had spiralled out of control in a way that she had really been hoping she would be able to prevent. "_Sit down._"

Eve pushed her hands away. "_What reasons? What happened between you?_"

"_There were… umm…_" Nikki exhaled sharply and sat down, wondering what to do for the best. She wanted Tom and yet she didn't want him at the same time. All she knew was that she didn't want him to find out about Eve in the same way that Hollie had. Forcing her mind back to the situation at hand, she tried to breathe steadily. "_A lot of problems._" She said at last. "_Ones that… couldn't be fixed. Now, will you sit down… please?_"

Eve did as she was told, sitting on the seat beside Nikki and staring at her hands in her lap for a moment as she considered which of her many questions to ask first. "_Did he stop you from seeing me?_" When Nikki failed to answer, the girl drew her own conclusions from the silence. "_How could he do that? It's so cruel! He's ruined both our lives._"

As Maggie and her Home Economics class burst into the room and disturbed their quiet, Nikki led Eve to the side quietly, before asking her to wait one minute while she sorted something out. When the girl took a seat, she left the room, making a hasty phone call and then heading along the corridors towards the Cooler.

* * *

**_A/N: I know, I know! You were supposed to get this update ages ago! I'm sorry, things have been mental lately!_**

**_I hope you enjoy this anyway and have a wonderful, wonderful Christmas!_**

**_x_**


	7. Please Read

Hey guys.

Firstly, I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and New Year!

I want to thank all of you who've read and favourited and followed and left comments or sent me messages about this fic and Two Sides of a Coin. Your support really meant so much and I wouldn't have kept it going so long if you hadn't been so amazing!

Now, I need to apologise to all of you reading this story. I'm abandoning it.

There are reasons and it took me a while to come to the decision for definite. I'm struggling at the moment to find time to write much at all and I have a severe lack of inspiration for this fic, but lots of inspiration for other fics. I hope that I will be able to return to it at some point or, if not to write a sequel to Two Sides, to write another fic for Waterloo Road.

Also, I didn't want to spoil Two Sides with this, seeing as I've totally lost where I was going with it. I figured it would be better to just leave things how they are for now at least!

Anyway, I hope you're not too disappointed!

Bex x


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